Seahorses off Ambergris Caye

[Doubler]

You really have to look for them as they blend in really well. The picture of the Seahorse was the last shot taken on a week long Live-aboard trip. I had been scouting for Seahorses and the Whitespotted Toadfish all week. Got shots of both on the last dive.

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[peterbj7]

I've not actually dived with them (White Sands), but Elbert Greer who owns the shop is an American expat who's lived here for many years and is one of the most experienced instructors in Belize. He knows what makes a good diving vacation and what spoils it. That said, he doesn't routinely accompany dives. Why don't you write and ask him? Dive Shops Belize, San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Scuba Diving Instruction, Classes, PADI

 

[Caxy Diver]

White sands has very good dive masters. i dove with JR and he goes very slow and knows his stuff.
I heard yesterday that ecologic has someone at the Portofino location manning the dive shop there. In any case either dive center will have to come and pick you up on your dock.

I have seen Seahorses at both Hol Chan and Tuffy in the past. I dove Hol Chan yesterday and took time to look for the one i saw there a while back with no luck.

As Peter said you really need a tour guide to dive the reef. I have seen quests take kayaks out and dive from locations north by Sueno Del Mar . It is not recommended here

 

[get10wet]

I have seen Seahorses at both Hol Chan and Tuffy in the past.

Caxy Diver,

Tuffy Rocks? Tuffy Canyon? The dive sites - as labeled on the Ambergris Caye dive sites map - are not consistent. Where is the "Tuffy" dive site you referred to? On one map, it is labeled Tuffy Canyon and is located south of Tackle Box. On another website, it is called Tuffy Rocks and is described as being "adjacent to Tackle Box."

 

[get10wet]

I heard yesterday that ecologic has someone at the Portofino location manning the dive shop there. \e

Just checked with Portofino. They confirmed that Ecologic Divers have re-opened the satellite location on their dock up north. Thanks for the update. Last we spoke with them, they told us they likely would not be running boats from the northern location before February.

 

[Caxy Diver]

Tuffy is some times called the coliseum, it is a shallow dive where there is a lot of training near the San Pedro cut.

Today's dive at Eagle Ray Canyon out side of Hol Chan we saw turtles,several large grouper and a Spotted Eagle Ray. Not a bad way to start the year off.

 

[CarlosCabanas]

Our dive master at TBR knows where to find them!

Carlos

 

[peterbj7]

Caxy Diver,

Tuffy Rocks? Tuffy Canyon? The dive sites - as labeled on the Ambergris Caye dive sites map - are not consistent. Where is the "Tuffy" dive site you referred to? On one map, it is labeled Tuffy Canyon and is located south of Tackle Box. On another website, it is called Tuffy Rocks and is described as being "adjacent to Tackle Box."

The names of sites vary over the years, though the actual sites don't much. "Tuffy" is used nowadays to refer to two separate locations - a dive site outside the reef near the main "San Pedro" cut in the reef, with the mooring buoy held in around 50ft and the descent through the "spur and Groove" formations to the abyss is pretty close (not much swimming involved); and the site that Caxy Diver referred to which is a very shallow location just inside the reef by the same cut.

The latter is generally known as "inside Tuffy" or "Coliseum". It's very shallow (you're struggling to find 20ft, and much of it is less than half that) but it's very pretty with lots of elkhorn coral and little coloured fishes (you can tell I'm not a naturalist!). In calm sea conditions, and it's pretty sheltered there, it's lovely to snorkel or do a shallow dive. Although it's shallow, there are few places where you can stand up so it's not ideal for early scuba training. And of course, buoyancy control is a challenge in such shallow water. But it's not much frequented and is a lovely spot, very accessible from shore.

"Tuffy" proper is one of my favourite sites here in San Pedro, as there's a large sandy area suitable for training; around the edge of that area in suitable conditions makes for a wonderful night dive - there are always octopii to be seen there, and if you haven't seen an octopus at night your diving has been severely limited; and it's a site which is close to the drop off and ideal for advanced dives. When the sea has been rough the visibility there does deteriorate more than at some other sites though, because of the nearby cut/channel.

I often read that people think that all the good diving in Belize is at the atolls. The diving there is certainly good, but we have superb and fascinating diving right next to our island. Anyone who thinks diving on the barrier reef here is boring or "average" hasn't been shown it properly!

 

[CarlosCabanas]

The name "Tuffy" refers to the cut and the dive site outside of the cut as Peter mentioned. The cut got it's name from a fishing trawler. As the story goes a group of locals got together and purchased a trawler. A few of them went up to Miami to get it and on Arrival there was a big party with lots of arguing about who was to be named Captain. As the night wore on the boat got loose from it's moorings and drifted, due to an off shore breeze, out to the cut. Hung up on the reef and sank. Obviously the next day there was another spirited argument about who was the captain! The out riggers are still visible just inside the cut. There is also part of a mono hull sailboat at about 20 feet in the middle of the cut. Was one of my favorite spots to go snorkeling when I lived in town.

Carlos